ULTRASOUND INSPECTION OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL PRODUCTS

Polymer composite materials are used in modern rocket and space engineering, but the question of technical diagnostics of such products is very acute. The study of PCM products showed that the use of a portable ultrasonic flaw detector with high-frequency transducers is possible, but on small particles (product areas) of control.

Smartphone-Based Automated Non-Destructive Testing Devices

Currently, non-destructive testing is an interdisciplinary field of science and technology that serves to ensure the safe functioning of complex technical systems in the face of multifactorial risks. In this regard, there is a need to consider new information technologies based on intellectual perception, recognition technology, and general network integration. The purpose of this work was to develop an ultrasonic flaw detector, which uses a smartphone to process the test results, as well as transfer them directly to an powerful information processing center, or to a cloud storage to share operational information with specialists from anywhere in the world.The proposed flaw detector consists of a sensor unit and a smartphone. The exchange of information between the sensor and the smartphone takes place using wireless networks that use "bluetooth" technology. To ensure the operation of the smartphone in the ultrasonic flaw detector mode, the smartphone has software installed that runs in the Android operating system and implements the proposed algorithm of the device, and can serve as a repeater for processing data over a considerable distance (up to hundreds and thousands of kilometers) if it necessary.The experimental data comparative analysis of the developed device with the Einstein-II flaw detector from Modsonic (India) and the TS-2028H+ flaw detector from Tru-Test (New Zealand) showed that the proposed device is not inferior to them in terms of such characteristics as the range of measured thicknesses, the relative error in determining the depth defect and the object thickness. When measuring small thicknesses from 5 to 10 mm, the proposed device even surpasses them, providing a relative measurement error of the order of 1 %, while analogues give this error within 2–3 %.

Non-Destructive Testing of Joints of Antifriction Parts Crimped by Pulsed Magnetic Deformation

Possibilities of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods to assess the quality of permanent joints of powder metal parts were evaluated. Antifriction bushing-bushing couples used in transport braking systems were investigated. The parts made of bronze graphite were crimped by pulsed magnetic deformation by means of electromagnetic equipment with a maximum discharge energy of 30 kJ. The gap between joint parts in the couples was assessed by ultrasonic and radiographic methods. A standard ultrasonic flaw detector Krautkramer USM-25 with an Olympus 4MHz dual-element echo transducer and an industrial x-ray apparatus YXLON EVO 200D were used, correspondingly. In first trial, both methods were equally sensitive to tight and weak connection of joints.

Equivalent Sensitivity Setting During Ultrasonic Inspection of Steel Butt Welded Joints

Introduction. The echo-pulse technique is commonly used for welded joints ultrasonic testing. The first step of the technique is setting the ultrasonic flaw detector sensitivity. For this purpose NDT-operators usually use calibration blocks with a flat cylindrical or hemispherical reflectors, which are to be manufactured and metrologically certified for every weld joint size and transducer angle. The objective of this work was to develop a sensitivity setting technique using the CO-2 reference block, which could take into account the equivivalent area of the flat cilindrical reflector (as a model of a point-planar flaw) and the equivivalent area of the hemispherical reflector (as a model of a point-bulk flaw). Method. The paper analyzes methods of ultrasonic flaw detector sensitivity setting while testing of butt welded joints with the use of samples and reference reflectors of different types. The theoretical studies using beam acoustics and the Kirchhoff method, were carried out. Results. The analytical dependences for calculation of the sensitivity correction factors have been presented for the equivalent sensitivity setting on a side cylindrical reflector of 6 mm in diameter with the center line location at a depth of 15 mm within the CO-2 reference block. For automation of calculations the NDTRT-20.01 software has been developed and implemented. The sensitivity setting procedures with the use of the NDTRT-20.01 software and without it are given. Discussion. The offered technique has the following advantages: for different thicknesses of welded sheets with different requirements to the minimum acceptable defect the only CO-2 reference block is needed; the sensitivity can be adjusted on both the flat cilindrical reflector and the hemispherical reflector; the NDTRT-20.01 software allows automating the calculations of sensitivity correction factors and flaw detector sweep parameters.